Wednesday, October 14, 2009

simplicity, rest, and holiness

I need focus.

I keep having brief lapses of satisfaction and purpose—brief awakenings from my sleep—and it makes me long all the more for more than lapses. Fullness is what I long for. So I figured it would be helpful if I could focus on a few simple things so I can somehow begin moving in the direction of being a little more awake. Here are my three simple things that came to mind as I thought about how I needed to change.

Simplicity
...because so much of my life is filled with things that don't need to be there and aren't really helping me--pointless things that only seem to blur the shapes and colors of my life's painting. I'm always doing something, listening to something, keeping my mind stimulated with some sort of activity. Can't I just be still? "'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope him.'" (Lam. 3.24)

Rest...maybe because I long for it so much. Maybe because I always hear that it's found only in God and yet as a Christian, it's not how I feel much of time. Or maybe it's because I have experienced the rest of the Lord before and it has been the sweetest thing ever. I long for it. "Thus says the Lord, 'Stand by the roads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.'" Jer. 6.16

Holiness
...I have no idea what this means! I mean--I know a little but not really. It's such an intimidating word but I don't know, somehow I feel that in this long dark corridor, it is the key to unlock so many doors. I'm ready to learn what it means and take hold of the key and feel it in my fingers.
"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God." 2 Cor. 7.1

What will the coming days hold? I don't really know. I know I need to focus on these three things though and they will be the focus of everything I write about in the coming weeks.

"...and it could be blinding depending on the amount of You that I reflect." -Relient K